The Sorting
by Roxie Zephyr Jocelyn
Summary: [AU. Set in the Harry Potter universe. Alive!Sid] Joe Gibken was perfect; everything a proud pure-blood Slytherin parent could want in a son. Until he was sorted into Gryffindor.


A/N: The fascinating characters of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger do not belong to me. Neither does the intriguing world of Harry Potter and all its magical aspects. Although this can be read as a standalone, it could also be counted as an excerpt set in a larger story, a larger world.

Brief background on the Harry Potter universe,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - The school of magic that wizards and witches attend when they come of age. The students are divided into four school houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff; they share a dorm with their fellow housemates.

The Sorting Hat - A magical hat that the students wear during the Sorting Ceremony (a ceremony where students are sorted into their school houses). It examines them, and then sorts students into their respective Houses based on the students' characteristics (and in rare cases, based on particularly strong choices that they make).

Gryffindor - One of the Houses in Hogwarts. The particular characteristics of students sorted into Gryffindor are courage, chivalry and determination.

Slytherin - One of the Houses in Hogwarts. Students who are sorted into Slytherin generally exhibit the traits of cunning, ambition and resourcefulness. It is a house also composed mostly of pure-bloods because of it's Founder's mistrust towards Muggle-born witches and wizards. However, there are exceptions to the rule.

The act of owling - Wizards and witches have a different postal service. Rather than send letters through a post box, they tie letters on the legs of owls (usually their own pet owls) and send them off to the recipient.

Muggle - People who are not from the magical community and cannot do magic.

Pure-blood - Wizards and witches whose parents are both from the magical community.

Half-blood - Wizards and witches who have one parent from the magical community and one parent who doesn't have magic in their blood.

Muggle-born - Wizards and witches who, despite having magic, are born to parents who are not from the magical community.

Squib - Children who are born to parents from the magical community, but have no magic in their blood and cannot do magic.

Enjoy~ xDDDD

The Sorting

Joe Gibken had not been sorted into Slytherin.

It wasn't something his pure-blood Slytherin family had ever expected. They had always been proud of him; he had proven to be perfect in all he did. He was all elegance and stoic cool in formal functions; the object of every lady's attentions, affections and swooning. He was very skilled in spells, particularly those that required an immense amount of concentration and complex weaving, and coupled with that, he also excelled in the way of the sword. He always won at the games which were popular amongst the pure bloods, particularly known for his amazing ability to pull of deceptive wins.

He even got along famously with Sid Bamick, who was the perfect example of what a good pure-blood Slytherin son should be; perfect grace, perfect manners, perfect academic grades, and overall, just perfect in everything he put his mind to.

So, when they got an owl from him reporting that he had been sorted into Gryffindor, his mother had nearly fainted and his father had destroyed his favourite decanter of brandy; accidentally dropping it.

Miles away, the said boy was sitting on his bed, not completely oblivious to the chaos he had caused his household. It was fortunate for him that though his parents were pure-blood, they weren't the fanatics that many others were, even if they were ardent Slytherins who were extremely proud of their House. They left their son mostly to his own devices, and as long as he did not jeopardize the family reputation, they did not meddle in his affairs.

Although, Joe thought, he probably had some explaining - a lot of explaining - to do when he went home during the break.

If he had to be entirely honest, he too was stunned that he had been sorted into Gryffindor. Despite the looming threat of Zangyack - a group of pure-blood, mostly Slytherin, dark wizards who advocated blood purity and domination over half-bloods, Muggle-borns, Muggles and Squibs - Joe had never had a particular disinclination towards the House. He was proud of his parents, proud of his lineage, his heritage; they were nothing like the crudely cruel Akudos Gill and the rest of his followers.

But, he didn't have a particular preference for it either.

_'I like you; your skill with the wand and that look in your eyes.' A statement of bold honesty. A Chesire grin._

_'Your magic is your own; a tool to reach your dreams.' The look in eyes that was both playful and challenging, casual yet piercing. 'Your own dreams, not the dreams of others.'_

Joe's hand curled into a fist on his bed. His own dreams. Joe's life had always been planned for him, in an organized, almost militaristic way. He was supposed to go to Hogwarts - be sorted into Slytherin, play on the House Quidditch team, be elected as Prefect and maybe Head Boy - and get a high ranking position in the Ministry of Magic after he graduated. He was supposed marry a nice pure-blood witch, who would be of pride and joy to his family and if possible also someone of the Slytherin House; together, they would have a son to carry on the name and a daughter to marry off to another high ranking pure-blood family for the sake of establishing good familial connections.

He had never been opposed to this plan; accepting it as simply a part of his life, a part of who he was.

Until the Sorting Hat had taken a look into his head and said, 'Hmmmm... Always the perfect Slytherin, but, what is this I see? Loyal. And, it's someone I'm going to meet, eh? You want to wait; you have patience. You feel strongly about this, very admirable. Very well, step aside and wait.'

That had been unprecedented, and it had caused much murmuring, but the sorting continued on until every last student had been called and sorted. Then, Joe had been beckoned for again.

'Unwavering, I see. Even more determined now. Big changes would happen, but it will take you to even greater heights. Yes, yes, so much potential, and courage, the courage to make choices. Protective as well, a good amount of recklessness. Yes, yes, you will do well in... GRYFFINDOR!'

The curtains around his bed rustled, drawing the boy out of his thoughts, and Joe could pick up the soft footsteps of his dormmate preparing for bed. There had been seven Gryffindors that year; three girls and four boys. Joe had met them all briefly in the Great Hall as they sat down for dinner after the Sorting Ceremony, but the one he was most interested in, he had barely managed to talk to since the other boy's attention had immediately been commandeered by the vast amounts of food.

Drawing the curtains back, Joe quietly said, 'I already owled my parents. I think I probably gave them a heart attack.'

The other boy, Marvelous, only smirked back at him.

And, Joe finally understood.

The Sorting Hat had placed him in Gryffindor because he had chosen Gryffindor.

'I have decided. I will use my magic to achieve my own dreams. I will use it for myself, and if I use it for others, it is because I want to, because I choose to.'

The change in Marvelous' eyes was unmistakable; brash and knowing, intrigued and intense all in one. It was clear that, like Joe, he had not forgotten.

_'I like you; your skill with the wand and that look in your eyes.'_

Joe had made his choice. He would use his magic as he pleased, for whom he pleased.

And, he had chosen to follow Marvelous.

Because Marvelous had shown him how to dream.


End file.
